FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my front-loader blink and not show a game?

This is the classic contact problem. Clean the cartridge with isopropyl alcohol first. If many clean games still blink, the console's edge connector is worn and should be cleaned, retensioned, or replaced.

Should I blow into my cartridges?

No. The moisture in your breath speeds up corrosion of the contacts. Clean them with isopropyl alcohol on a swab instead.

Is a flash cartridge legal?

The hardware is legal. What matters is the ROMs you load, which should be your own dumps, freely distributed homebrew, or properly licensed releases.

How do I get a better picture on a modern television?

Stock composite looks noisy on flat panels. Options include feeding the signal to a good upscaler, adding an S-Video mod, installing an NESRGB board for clean RGB, or fitting an HDMI kit.

Why is my Famicom game's extra music missing?

Some Famicom cartridges use expansion sound chips that a stock NES does not route. You need an expansion audio mod, and on an EverDrive N8 Pro you must enable the EXP9-SND option.

My game saved before but no longer keeps progress. Why?

Battery-backed cartridges rely on an internal coin cell. When it dies, saves stop persisting. Replacing the battery restores saving but erases the existing save in the process.